The world has over the past 9 days gathered in Paris to negotiate a safe future for our planet and people in the face of rapidly spreading effects of Climate Change. In my country Nigeria, Climate Change has been witnessed in its full effect but if anyone still harbours doubt on why the call to "act now" to end Climate Change then, the situation in Senegal can provide a convincing answer. I feel immense responsibility in tackling Africa's challenges and this certainly adds to that.

In Senegal, the fishing community of Goxu Mbath is one of those in the city of Saint Louis that is slowly but steadily being swallowed by the sea. The village boasts of about 120,000 inhabitants many of whom have permanently fled their former homes owing to increasing flood occasioned by an unusual rise in the sea level which owes all to Climate Change.

According to AFP, the first casualty in St Louis was the island community of Doune Baba Dieye, situated close to the mouth of the river. "The water has engulfed the island and the people are gone," the former village chief, Ameth Sene Diagne said during an interview.

A 2008 UN-HABITAT report listed the city (St. Louis) of 250,000, which is plagued by flooding during the rainy season when the river overflows, as the most vulnerable in Africa to rising sea levels and now, it is happening with immense devastation. It?s also reported that some villages under the same city spend about ten months of the year underwater.

The Senegalese government has waded into the situation with the announcement of breakwater construction project that will cost one billion CFA francs ($1.6 million, 1.5 million euros).

Such situations of disappearing communities is also expected in coastal countries of West and Central Africa with my country Nigeria having her commercial capital, Lagos, as the most vulnerable.

These are part of the reasons why COP 21 must succeed in favouring Africa else, many things will go wrong with Climate Refugees likely to be more popular.

Sources: AFP, This is Africa

 Photos by: AFP / Seyllou Diallo